Cultural, Historical and Political Aspects of Perso Arabic Epigraphy of India

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The official study of Perso-Arabic epigraphy of the erstwhile Indian Sub-Continent commenced with the early years of this century, precisely from after being so published from 1907 A.D. onwards Besides, publication of these records, in sila on mosques, mausoleums and other religious or secular edifices, was taken up by academic bodies in some parts of the land on their own initiative. Yet, except for their decipherment and translations, and in very many cases, sparing comments, no serious analytical study of the valuable contents of this enormous material was attempted, except for some recent efforts, regional as they are.

The present work, though by no means exhaustive, is a laudable attempt at analysis of these records in their different aspects. This analytical study of these contemporary records reveals at once the great contribution made by those that encouraged these to be so recorded under different inspirations, imperial or local, with different poesy and different urges. Administrative or purely sentimental, and under different circumstances, whether religious or social to the growth of a mass of source material.

The contents of these records have been laid bare here with a rare lucidity unravelling their hitherto missed literary excellences, calligraphic niceties, and above all, the contributive cultural activities that in course of time formed a unite whole which easily goes by the name of Indian Culture.

The work in eight chapters with its eight Appendices, a helpful Glossary, forty illustrative and representative calligraphic writings, a Chart to show the growth of the Perso-Arabic script and a Map locating trans-Indian regions from where calligraphers came to lend their hands here, thus proving the international ties in the field of art, is by all measure an unparalleled treat.

A Graduate in Arabic and a First Class Fint MLA in Islamic History and Culture with Epigraphy and Numismatics, Indian and of Islamic countries abroad, as special subject, equally an M.A. with a First Class in Sanskrit, and First in the special subjects of ancient Indian Epigraphy and Iconography, Professor A.K. Bhattacharyya is uniquely equipped for researches in both ancient and medieval periods of history and culture of the Indian Sub-continent.

Initially a Lecturer in Sanskrit in Colleges and Principal for a year, he joined Museum Service at the Indian Museum, Calcutta and took training in Archaeological excavations at Taxila and Sisupalgarh under the Archaeological Survey of India.

Trained in museology in London, he was elected Fellow of the Museums Association of England and served the two national museums in India-the National Museum, New Delhi and the Indian Museum, Calcutta, the latter as Director for more than ten years.

Concurrently with museum service, he was appointed Lecturer in the Post-Graduate Departments of Islamic History and Culture and Sanskrit, Calcutta University, where he served for more than a decade.

In India, awarded a Post-Graduate Research Fellowship by the Govt. of undivided Bengal. PRS of the Calcutta University, and a Senior Research Fellowship by the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, Professor Bhattacharyya received from abroad, a Japan Foundation Fellowship and Fellowship of the Pacific Cultural Foundation, for researches in Japanese and Chinese Buddhist art, respectively.

In the Republic of China. Professor Bhattacharyya on appointment as a Visiting Professor, served the National University and the University of Chinese Culture for a year and a half With a number of major publications in India and abroad, and numerous research Papers contributed to Monographs and Journal, in this country and outside, Professor Bhattacharyya has been honoured with the highest award in the field of research in India, the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship.

Ever since my graduation in Arabic about forty years ago and my subsequent Post Graduate degree in Islamic History & Culture, specialising in Perso Arabic Epigraphy and Numismatics, in 1952 more than a hundred Papers and articles on these specialised subjects have been published In 1960 61, in connection with its Centenary Celebrations, the Archaeological Survey of India proposed to publish a series of small Treatises touching upon the different branches of archaeological studies and discoveries in India during the preceding hundred years. Treatises on two specific branches among these, namely, Perso Arabic Epigraphy and Islamic Numismatics in India, were entrusted to the present author Unfortunately, the scheme was ultimately changed, and the ambitious studies thus covisaged were given up The idea to present in depth studies in the different fields of archaeology including studies and researches in Perso Arabic epigraphy in this country thus remained unfulfilled apparently due to limited resources at the disposal of the Survey at that time The impetus, however, that was given thus to the different scholars so entrusted with the original scheme, encouraged quite a few of them to enlarge and collaborate the work they had started, to an extent much larger than the original plan had provided Very many years later, in 1987-88, fortunately, a Scheme of a Project, on the basis of the material collected by the present author over the years since then, on the subject of an analytical study of the Perso Arabic Epigraphy in India was approved for a Senior Fellowship by the Indian Council of Historical It search. New Delhi, for writing out a comprehensive Monograph on the subject. With this opportunity, the entire collection of Perso Arabic epigraphs in India, with the new discoveries up to date was studied afresh The present work is the result of that endeavour, though considering the vastness of the material, it can not claim to be free from omissions. Further, repetition of references to the same epigraph is accountable to the very closely related subject matter of the different chapters Nevertheless, the present work seeks to present the fact, with reference to the cited examples, that the epigraphic material in Arabic and Persian left by the Islamic people of medieval India the commoner, the kings and the nobles and officials contains ample evidence that go to prove the height of cultural level that those people reached. It also seeks to prove the inter action of cultures of the period in this land The mass of material analysed reveals many turns of history, the fixes of politico geographical limits, and mentions a number of social and administrative functionaries with their spheres of activity and control. It also reveals, most important of all, the undercurrent of the ideals of conciliation, toleration and inclusiveness engendering a composite and integrated Indian Community as a whole. This runs concurrently with intense activities of building religious edifices and endowing religious charities in favour of Islam Perhaps the most majestic of constructional achievements in India are through the efforts of Muslim rulers, Muslim saints and Muslim laity, and in the process of these achievements, epigraphs in Arabic and Persian recording them have assumed unique importance both for their contents and their form.